The division within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) continues to widen, particularly in certain states, while efforts to reconcile the crisis at the national level yield limited progress. The protracted turmoil within the Imo State PDP is causing significant fissures within the party leadership, resulting in a covert declaration of loss of confidence in the party’s gubernatorial candidate for the November 11 election.
In a significant development, seven members of the PDP State Working Committee in Imo State declared on Sunday that Samuel Anyanwu, the party’s candidate for the upcoming governorship election, lacks the necessary qualities to govern the state. These protesting committee members expressed concerns about Senator Anyanwu’s alleged misuse of his position to target and intimidate committee members since assuming the role of PDP National Secretary. Consequently, the dissenting committee members have resigned from the PDP.
The dissenting State Working Committee members raised objections to Senator Anyanwu’s unilateral selection of his deputy for the governorship election, accusing him of disregarding the opinions and input of party members. Collins Opurozor, the State Publicity Secretary, highlighted during a media interaction at the PDP State Secretariat in Owerri that the National Secretary had resorted to violence against certain members of the State Executive.
Furthermore, the protesting State Working Committee members, seemingly constituting a group referred to as PDP G7 in Imo State, announced their resignation from the state party, stating that their “next line of action” would soon be disclosed to the public.
The escalating crisis within the Imo State PDP underscores the deep-rooted divisions and challenges faced by the party in maintaining unity and cohesion at both the state and national levels. The outcome of this internal turmoil could significantly impact the PDP’s prospects in the upcoming governorship election and shape the future trajectory of the party in Imo State.